


In this place where the shadows run from themselves

by CherryPie0



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Human, Drinking, Eventual Smut, Half-Sibling Incest, Loki is seventeen, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting (Marvel), Recreational Drug Use, Size Difference, Thor can be an asshole sometimes, Thor is twenty four
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:28:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29225475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryPie0/pseuds/CherryPie0
Summary: It's been more than six years since Thor saw or spoke to his father. He knows Odin has a new family now and he had no plans to return to his hometown, until Odin's current wife calls him, telling him his father is sick and would like to reconcile with his oldest son. With nothing really left for him in his new life, Thor decides to go back.That soon turns out to be a bad idea for more reasons than Thor could imagine.
Relationships: Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It was really hard to tag this fic for some reason. I'll might add more tags as we go, but I think these pretty much sum it up.  
> This is aaaaalmost finished, I only have to write the last chapter and it'll be done, so hopefully the updates won't take long!! ✨
> 
> Title inspired by C.R.E.A.M. 's _White Room_
> 
> Also I started writing this fic after watching the show "Sharp Objects", so some scenes are inspired by it, but don't expect murder or anything too dark😂 
> 
> That's all! I hope you enjoy ❤️❤️

It's been only a few days since Thor arrived, and it already feels like he's been in his hometown for a fucking month. It's as if time passes differently there, as if he's in some kind of hell and every second means to be torturous and slow and worse than the one before.

He keeps mostly to himself, in his room that has surprisingly been kept exactly as it was when he left, six years ago. It would seem sentimental, sweet even, to anyone else, but Thor knows his father better than to think that. It's much more likely that Odin simply didn't bother to do anything with it. It's not like they don't have several other unused rooms in the house, anyway.

Not that Thor really cares about his old room; he's not planning to stay for more than a few days.

He sighs, contemplates going downstairs to the kitchen to grab something to eat, but having to deal with Odin and his new little family is almost as bad as starving to death, so he doesn't move. He's hungry, but not _that_ desperate yet.

He can hear them, even from his room, the cheerful note of Farbauti's voice making him roll his eyes. Even Odin seems to smile uncharacteristically often; it's unnerving.

His father has never been like this.

Thor doesn't really remember him when his mom was still alive, but he is certain Odin had never been one to smile and joke and laugh, to care- or simply be a father really. He was at work most of the time, even when Frigga got sick, apparently his dying wife or his son not being a priority.

Then Frigga died when Thor was just eight years old, and a few months later came Helen. She and Odin got married about a year later. She was nice enough - nicer than Odin deserved - which only made Thor hate her even more, thinking that she was trying to replace his mom.

Their marriage of course didn't last, but Odin has never been a man that stays alone for too long. Joanne was next. Pretty and at least fifteen years younger than Odin, she was nothing like Helen, or Frigga. Thor hated her just as much, but this time the feeling was mutual. Joanne hated him and probably hated Odin, too, but she sure loved his money.

Odin got bored of her eventually and a few short-lived relationships followed, until Farbauti.

Thor was seventeen when Odin told him he has a brother.

And if Thor had thought he couldn't possibly hate his father any more, he was proven wrong that day.

Apparently, Odin had had an affair with Farbauti for more than ten years and they even had a child together that was at the time nine years old.

It at least explained why Odin would go to business trips every other week, even when Frigga was sick and was only getting worse.

Thor had met Farbauti and Loki only once and had left his hometown right the day he had turned eighteen, luckily right before his father's new family moved in. His father hadn't bothered to invite him to the wedding; perhaps because he simply didn't give a shit or because he knew Thor wouldn't have accepted the invite anyway, or both. It doesn't really matter.

Thor hadn't talked to his father for more than six years when Farbauti called him. Thor was too shocked to hang up on her immediately and so he let her talk. And she told him about his father's sickness, about it getting worse, about Odin wanting to reconcile with his son before dying, and she pleaded him to come home.

Thor ended the call without saying anything and even though he told himself he didn't care, two days later he had already packed all his stuff then took his car and drove back to his hometown that felt nothing like home.

He's still not sure why he's here. He hates Odin, of that he is sure, but he must love him too at least a little, because he took the decision to come here even though he knew he'd regret it. Perhaps, it was also that there was basically nothing for him back in the town he lived for the past six years.

He met people of course; people that he could hang out and have fun with, but he didn't really have any friends and he was always between jobs, mostly taking shifts at shitty bars that definitely didn't pay enough to make him want to stay there. So, it wasn't like he was leaving anything behind.

But even _nothing_ is better than this.

Because the phone call wasn't Odin's idea, of course. Odin knew nothing about it; he probably hadn't even mentioned Thor to Farbauti.

The first thing his father told him when he saw him after six years was a sharp _'What are you doing here?'_ , and Thor wasn't surprised to see hints of smugness and satisfaction in Odin's expression.

Thor could guess his thoughts: _you thought you could make it on your own but you did shit like you always do and now you're back to ask for my help, as if you deserve it_.

They have barely exchanged any words since then and Thor is honestly grateful for it.

Dinners are awkward as fuck, Farbauti doing most of the talking. Odin talks too, but not to Thor. He does like talking about him, though, as if he's not present. He jokes about useless, arrogant boys that can't make it without their father’s help, until Farbauti places a hand on his, looking at him with a gentle, pleading expression.

And Odin actually softens. He smiles at her, nods his head dutifully.

It's what makes Thor the angriest.

Odin had never been one to show affection, to be gentle; not with him, or even with his mom. At least not from what Thor remembers.

But here he is now, stroking Farbauti's hand and asking Loki about school, praising him when Loki tells him he did well on a test, acting like a _father_.

It's ridiculous, it makes Thor sick to his stomach, and he always ends up leaving dinner still hungry; he doesn't even know why he joins them if he's honest.

Still, Thor knows how to deal with all that. He was dealing with Odin for eighteen years before he left, he's used to it.

It's Loki that unsettles him.

Thor remembers him almost seven years ago; a pale, little kid that hid in his mother's skirts, too shy to even look up at Thor. He looked small and fragile and innocent, but Thor still hated him. He used to want a little brother, but not like this.

Definitely not like this.

Loki is still pale now, his black hair only a bit longer than it used to be, reaching the nape of his neck, his eyes just as big and green as Thor vaguely remembers. He has grown taller, but he's still thin, looks like Thor could break him in two like a stick without much effort.

Odin seems to adore him.

The first day Thor was there, Loki came back from school, wearing his uniform; black trousers and a white shirt, a green thin tie around his slender neck, holding his backpack in his arms. Thor had to hold back a scoff; he remembers this damn uniform. It wasn't obligatory, but Odin had been adamant about it, insisting that Thor wear it. Thor never did, of course; he didn't really mind the uniform, but he refused to do what Odin wanted him to.

So, Thor's first thought about Loki was that he clearly wanted to be daddy's good little boy. And it's obviously working.

He's everything Thor wasn't, and Odin loves him for it.

Loki kisses Odin's cheek before leaving for school and before going to bed, he brings Odin his newspaper or happily pours him a drink when Odin asks him to. Then he sits on Odin's lap as Odin enjoys his drink in his armchair, and tells him how well he's doing at school, or about any upcoming tests, or asks him sweetly about things he wants Odin to buy him, thanking him sweetly when Odin agrees almost immediately.

It makes Thor wonder. Would Odin love him if he had been like that as a kid? Was Thor's behavior the problem, or just... _Thor_?

He tells himself it doesn't matter.

He doesn't care.

He doesn't- or at least he shouldn't. But it still manages to make him angry, restless, makes him feel like he's losing control.

Almost every time Odin talks to him is to tell him how brilliant Loki is, smart and obedient and polite, how unlike Thor he is.

Thor ignores him, used to it by now.

When he glances at Loki, expecting to see a smug expression on his face, Thor is surprised to find those pale, green eyes already fixed on him, looking at Thor intently, his expression unreadable. Then Loki's pink mouth quirks up in a small smirk and Thor can't decide if it's amused or mocking or something else entirely.

And at that moment, Loki’s eyes look nothing like the ones Thor remembers from years ago. They shine with mischief and promise and trouble. For a second Thor wonders if he has misjudged Loki so much, if daddy's good innocent boy isn't who he seems to be after all, but he doesn't get to dwell on it because Odin's voice draws Thor's attention away from Loki, as always filling his head with poisonous thoughts that Thor thought he had managed to get rid of.

He foolishly hoped that now that he grew up, his father's words wouldn't be able to touch him, but he was obviously wrong.

Most nights Thor drives to one of the few bars of the town, _needing_ to get out of the house and do something- _anything_ , and he has a drink or two, or five. Some people recognize him mostly from high school, come to talk to him, but Thor makes it clear very quickly that he's not in the mood for any kind of company.

He asks himself why he's still here - why he came, in the first place - but he can't find the answer. It's like something is keeping him there, pulling him back like a magnet.

The sixth night, on his way home, Thor sees Loki.

Thor is outside the bar, searching the pockets of his jeans for his car keys. He only hopes he remembers where exactly he parked the car; he's not drunk, but his head feels a bit dizzy, disoriented.

He frowns and pauses his searching for a moment when he hears a groan coming from behind a car. It's mere curiosity that has his legs moving, quietly taking him close enough to see what's going on.

There's a man leaning against a car, his pants hanging down around his ankles, while another person - a man, Thor thinks, even though he can't really tell from this angle - is on their knees, sucking the guy's cock. Thor shrugs and is about to leave, but stops at his tracks when he takes a better look of that profile.

He blinks, tells himself he's probably more drunk than he thought, that there's no way this is _Loki_ \- good, shy, polite Loki that always listens to everything Odin has to say - but then the person on their knees pulls away, off the cock, and there's no doubt about it anymore.

Because there Loki is, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, those big eyes looking up at the man he's blowing, his black hair a complete mess, a large hand buried in it, pulling Loki closer and urging him to continue. The guy seems to be around Thor's age or older maybe, and he's now fucking into Loki's mouth, his other hand gripping a bare, pale shoulder.

Thor's frown deepens when he takes in what Loki is wearing - a crop top and a pair of shorts, so tiny they barely cover his ass; nothing like his usual school uniform that covers him from head to toe.

Thor can only stand there and stare for several seconds; he watches how the man is shoving his cock between Loki's lips, how Loki accepts it easily inside him, how he stays pliant under the guy's hands, moaning around the dick in his mouth.

When his brain starts functioning again, Thor leaves, feeling confused and for some reason angry, his blood boiling in his veins, even though he thinks he should be feeling amused, satisfied that Loki has managed to trick Odin like that.

There's a part of him that still can't believe that this was Loki, but when Thor gets home and checks his room, he finds it empty.

He wonders for how long Loki has been lying to Odin, pretending to be something that he clearly isn't, acting all sweet and innocent, while he's anything but.

For a moment, Thor considers telling his father. Not to hurt Loki, but to ruin Odin's little fantasy about his perfect son and his perfect little family. But he doubts Odin would believe him. It's not worth it, anyway.

He'll be leaving soon, after all, so until then he'll just keep minding his own business and do his best to stay away from Loki; the boy is obviously trouble and that's the last thing Thor wants right now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happening yet🙊

When Thor goes downstairs the next morning, he sees Loki already in his school uniform like always, hair perfectly slicked back, smiling sweetly as his mom tells him to have a good day.

Thor frowns, keeps quiet as he pours himself some coffee, looking at Loki over his mug.

He starts thinking that perhaps Loki from last night - the one on his knees and his mouth full of cock - was just a dream. There's no way Loki's such a good liar; he's just a kid, he can't have everyone fooled like that.

But then Loki's eyes meet his and Loki grins, looking sweet and almost even younger than he is, but his gaze is knowing, _daring_.

"Have a good day, Thor!" He says cheerfully and then grabs his backpack and runs out of the house, leaving Thor staring at the door long after he's gone.

Thor spends his day at the bar. He still hasn't decided when he's leaving, so he doesn't know if he should be looking for a temporary job there or not.

Probably not.

Thor should want to run as far away from this place as he can, shouldn't he?

But then again, he already did that, and his life was still shitty, so perhaps the problem is him, not this place or his father.

What he knows for sure is that even if he stays, he should definitely keep his distance from Loki. Thor has always had the tendency to get drawn to anything he shouldn't, anything that promises trouble and is dangerous and bad and forbidden, and Loki seems to be exactly that.

Thor returns home long after dinner time, the living room's lights off, Odin and Farbauti having probably already headed to bed.

His lips twitch up and he huffs out a laugh as he imagines what Odin must have said about him missing dinner without notifying anyone. Or perhaps he didn't even notice his absence; that's definitely a possibility.

He walks up the stairs and pauses for a moment when he sees that the lights of his room are on, a frown forming on his face.

Is Odin waiting for him so he can give him a lecture? That'll be fun.

Thor pushes the ajar door open and steps in, his eyebrows rising in surprise when he sees Loki there.

There are clothes tossed on the floor- Loki's uniform, Thor realizes. His shirt and tie, his trousers. And his boxers.

Instead of all that, now Loki is wearing one of Thor's t-shirt that's way too big on him, falling loose over his lithe frame and reaching his mid-thighs.

"Oh, hey," Loki says, casually, as if he has every right to be there and go through Thor's stuff. He's sitting on the floor, rummaging inside Thor's duffel bag that Thor still hasn't bothered unpacking.

"What the fuck are you doing with my stuff?" He asks, his voice coming out sharp, and he grabs Loki by his arm, forcing him up to his feet without much effort.

Loki pulls away and rubs the arm Thor grabbed with his other hand, glaring and pouting at Thor like Thor's the one at fault here.

"Why did you do that?" He says, still caressing his arm, the words coming out in a small whine.

"I asked you something. Why are you in my room?"

Loki shrugs then, lets his arms fall on his sides, and shuffles around the room, turning his back to Thor as he takes everything in. "I like this. It's a band, right?" He asks, mentioning to the worn _'The Doors'_ t-shirt he's wearing.

"Loki..." Thor warns, still waiting for an answer.

Now, Loki finally turns and looks at him, his eyebrows frowning softly in that way that immediately makes his face sweeter, innocent. "I just want to get to know you," he says, almost shy, sucking his lower lip between his teeth. "I always wanted a big brother."

He looks at Thor with those big, wide eyes that look unfairly beautiful. And strangely sincere.

For a moment Thor understands why Odin and Farbauti think he's their little angel. He definitely looks like one.

But Thor knows better. And even before yesterday, he had no intention to get closer to Loki. He finds no reason to do so.

"I'm not your fucking brother," he snaps. He expects some kind of reaction - he's been told he’s quite intimidating by many people; especially when he's angry or annoyed like now - but Loki's expression doesn't change; it's like he was expecting this. He probably was. "Now get the fuck out," Thor tells him firmly and surprisingly Loki obliges without a protest.

Thor flops onto his bed, immediately averting his gaze when he sees the beginning of creamy, round asscheeks peeking out from under the long t-shirt as Loki bends to gather his clothes from the floor.

"Okay, but I'm keeping this," Loki says, motioning to the t-shirt and Thor doesn't care enough to argue or say anything in response.

He watches Loki shuffle to the door, bare feet padding softly on the floor, and he almost asks him if he's going out tonight, too, and if he does that a lot- blowing guys at parking lots, lying to his parents as he sneaks out at nights.

But Thor keeps his mouth shut; it's safer that way.

The next morning, when Thor goes to the kitchen, he's surprised to find only Loki at the table. Farbauti is usually there, too, making sure her baby eats his breakfast, or making coffee for Odin, or sometimes already cooking lunch.

Thor refuses to feel intimidated by a seventeen-year-old boy, so he grabs some coffee and takes a seat at the table, almost across Loki.

"Good morning," Loki says, grinning, already in his uniform and ready for school.

Thor grunts in reply and makes the mistake to look at him. Loki of course chooses that moment to wrap his lips around a strawberry, slowly biting into it, before throwing away the stem, his little mouth having turned slightly red. He sure seems to love making Thor feel uncomfortable.

"Do you not like me, Thor?" he asks, conversationally, his lips still curled into a small smile.

Thor doesn't answer; he sips at his coffee and looks at Loki, keeping his expression blank.

"I always wanted to meet you, you know... My big brother! I always thought that'd be fun," Loki continues, unfazed by Thor's silence. He brings another strawberry to his mouth, makes a wet sound as he eats it and sucks on its juices, his tongue peeking out to lick his lips.

"But I'm not so sure, anymore. Dad told me to stay away from you. He thinks you'd be a bad influence on me," Loki says and bites his lower lip, looking at Thor almost hesitantly.

Thor has to give it to him; he's good.

"I saw you the other night, you know... With that guy," he says, can't help himself, and Loki's eyebrows draw together in a skeptical frown.

"What guy?"

Thor snorts. "You really gonna try to lie to me? I'm not Odin."

"I would never do that, Thor. It's just that, I really don't know... There've been many guys lately, I'm not sure who exactly you're talking about," he says, his voice completely casual.

Thor was definitely not expecting that fucking answer and Loki can obviously see that, because he looks at him expectantly, his grin turning a little smugger the longer Thor stays silent; he doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to say to that.

"Loki, are you ready?" Odin's loud voice comes from the hallway - sometimes Odin drives him to school, Thor has learned, like the good father he supposedly is now - and Loki jumps off his chair, reaching for one last strawberry.

"Yes, daddy! One sec!" Loki yells back and flashes Thor a wide grin, before all but running to Odin, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek, and Odin actually smiles at him.

It feels strange, watching his father like this, but Thor has to admit the whole situation starts making much more sense the more time he spends with Loki; Loki might still be a kid, but he certainly knows how to get you wrapped around his little finger without you even realizing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Thor manages to avoid Loki for the next couple of days.

He takes a few shifts at a workshop about twenty minutes away from their house, managing to get a job so quickly mostly because the guy that owns it knows him since he was a kid and Thor used to always help around whenever he could back then. 

The money is obviously not much but he has a reason to be out of the house and that's more than enough for him.

He hasn't talked to Loki since that morning.

Thor usually works afternoons or evenings, so most of the time he leaves the house before Loki gets home from school. After work he goes by the bar, has a drink, and heads home later at night, when Loki is either already sleeping or has sneaked out.

Today he stayed at work longer than usual - his boss asked him to cover for another guy and Thor had nothing better to do, so he agreed - and now that he's finally home, lying in his bed, he feels both tired and restless.

And sweaty.

He forgot how hot it gets sometimes in his room during summer; even the breeze coming from the open window is warm, does nothing to cool the suffocating atmosphere in the room.

He shifts on his bed again and lets out a frustrated sigh, deciding to go outside to get some air- and have a smoke since he'll already be there. He gets dressed and puts his shoes on, walking quietly downstairs.

He finally breathes out when he's outside, the air feeling less hot and stifling now, and he sits on the stairs at the porch, lighting a cigarette. He takes a deep inhale and lets his eyes flutter closed, enjoying the peaceful silence.

Which, of course, doesn't last long.

He can hear steps approaching - soft and quiet - and he already knows who to expect.

He opens his eyes and turns his head just enough to see Loki with the corner of his eye. "Does Odin know you're sneaking out at one in the morning instead of being in bed sleeping like a good boy?" He asks, even though he obviously already knows the answer.

Loki comes to sit beside him and shrugs in reply, not looking particularly concerned that he has been caught. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him- or _me_ ," he says and winks at Thor; Thor doesn't understand why Loki is so confident that Thor won't rat him out to Odin.

"Can I have one?" he asks then, motioning to the cigarette between Thor's fingers.

Thor scoffs and offers him the packet to take one. When he first came here, he would bet that Loki was bluffing, probably not having smoked a cigarette in his life.

Now he knows better than to assume anything about Loki.

Loki takes one and brings it to his mouth, little lips wrapped around it, and he leans closer, waiting for Thor to light it. He smiles around it when Thor does; a silent _thanks_.

Then he takes a drag, looking relaxed, nonchalant; definitely not his first smoke.

"I never liked the taste," he murmurs, but inhales again, deeply.

Thor shakes his head in disbelief, perhaps a bit amusement, too; that's definitely not what he was expecting when he decided to come back here. "You really have them fooled, huh..."

Loki shrugs. "They believe what they want to believe. I make them happy," he says, simple as that, and Thor huffs, doesn't bother answering.

He looks at Loki, tries to study him, but Loki doesn't give much away; he doesn't even seem to be bothered by Thor's scrutinized gaze on him.

Then Loki gets up, fixes his shorts - just as tiny and short as the ones Thor saw him wearing the first time that night outside the bar - and stands before Thor, the cigarette burning between his fingers.

"There's a party. Wanna come?"

Thor snorts. "Sure. I'd love to hang out with a bunch of teenagers," he tells Loki, fixes him with an unimpressed look.

Loki doesn't look offended. He blows the smoke right in Thor's face after his last inhale, pink lips curling into a smirk. "The guys throwing it are more about your age. Come on, it'll be fun," he says and leans closer, in Thor's personal space, so he can stub the cigarette out in the ashtray beside Thor, obviously not caring about leaving evidence behind. Odin will probably think it was Thor, anyway.

"Pleaaaase?" Loki tries again, when Thor shakes his head _no_ , keeping his voice sweet, even batting his eyelashes at Thor. "We won't stay for too long, I promise! Besides, do you really want me to walk there all alone this late at night?"

Thor knew he would regret agreeing to this and he wasn't wrong.

Loki wasn't lying about the ages of the people there; most of them seem to be in their twenties, but there are of course some exceptions, too, like Loki and his little group of friends that have no business hanging out with adults.

Loki drinks and dances and grinds to any guy that comes to dance with him, obviously not minding even when some them get rather handsy. Thor is tempted to go grab them and separate them from Loki, but he manages to keep himself under control. He has always been rather possessive over his things, but Loki _isn't_ his - he's not even his brother, really - so he doesn't know why he feels like he has to protect Loki, to keep him just for himself.

He ignores his instincts and simply stays in a corner of the room, smoking, drinking some beer and glancing around, refusing to just stare at Loki and watch him dance.

He really doesn't know why he's here.

At least there's free booze, he tells himself.

He even sees a few familiar faces, the more he looks around. Old classmates, mostly.

He avoids their gazes, not in the mood to talk, especially with the music so loud. It'd just be awkward, anyway.

Sif is the only one that spots him; or at least the only one that's brave enough to come and greet him when he's clearly not in a very chatty mood.

They used to be together for a while - it was less than a month, but it still is the longest relationship Thor has managed to keep to this day - but they had broken up rather amicably, stayed friends afterwards.

They don't talk for too long; the music doesn't allow it, anyway, and Thor is thankful when Sif leaves him be. It's not that he doesn't like Sif. They were quite good friends before he left, but he would rather not talk to anyone right now- or for however long he stays in this fucking town.

Perhaps it's simply because he doesn't want to talk about the absolute _nothing_ he has achieved during the last six years.

He starts when he feels a hand on his bicep, too absorbed in his thoughts to see Loki approaching.

"Is she your girlfriend again? Are you two fucking?" He asks, stumbling up on his toes so Thor can hear him, talking almost right into his ear.

He's close enough that Thor can smell the alcohol on his tongue; so heavy and clear that it's almost like he can taste it, too.

Thor doesn't answer. He just pushes Loki slightly away by the shoulders, but the free space between them is still just a few inches.

"Why are you so grumpy? I thought we were gonna have some fun," Loki says and places his palms on Thor's chest, letting one of them just rest there while he absently traces Thor's torso with the fingers of his other hand, the warmth of Loki's touch seeping through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.

"Stop it," Thor tells him, but doesn't do anything to push Loki away and they both know very well he could easily do it, if he wanted to.

"You're no fun," Loki says, pouting. He looks unfairly pretty with his flushed cheeks and red, little lips, looking up at Thor with those big, green eyes under his long eyelashes.

Thor tries to not think about this - about Loki looking up at him like this for a completely different reason, while he's on his knees before Thor - but he fails and he hates how arousing he finds the thought of having Loki like that. 

"Well, okay then. Perhaps I should find someone else to entertain myself. There must be at least an empty room upstairs-"

Thor acts before he even realizes that he's moving his hand. He grabs Loki's forearm and pulls him closer, towards his own body, until there's barely any free space between them.

"You've had enough fun for tonight. I'm taking you home."

That makes Loki smile for some reason, green eyes shining dangerously.

"You almost sound concerned, Thor. Such a good big brother, taking care of me," Loki all but purrs and presses even closer to him, until their bodies are flush together and Loki has his head tilted up, Thor having to look down to meet his gaze.

The room suddenly feels hotter than before.

"I just don't wanna risk hearing it from Odin tomorrow morning," Thor says - and it might not be the complete truth but it's not a lie either - and finally pushes Loki away, putting a safe distance between them.

"Whatever," Loki mutters and rolls his eyes, but thankfully lets Thor drag him out of the house and towards the car.

The ride home is quiet, neither of them saying anything, the radio filling the awkward silence. Loki tilts his head toward the open window, a small smile on his lips as he enjoys the cool air of the night, folding his legs against his chest. It makes his shorts rise farther up, milky thighs drawing Thor's gaze every time he glances at Loki.

They're home about fifteen minutes later and Thor parks the car and kills the engine, before climbing out. He doesn't bother checking if Loki is following, until he hears a thump and turns around to find Loki down on the ground, laughing.

He's either more drunk than Thor thought or he's pretending; either way Thor knows he has to deal with this before they manage to wake Odin. He lets out a quiet sigh and gathers him up, wrapping an arm around Loki's slim waist, supporting most of his weight.

"Be quiet," he says and Loki hums and goes pliant in his arms, pressing closer to him, letting Thor guide him to the house and patiently waiting as Thor tries to unlock the door.

"Thor? Can I sleep in your room? With you? Don't wanna be alone," Loki mumbles, the words coming out slurred.

"Fuck no."

" _Why?_ " he whines, his voice louder and higher than it should be; Thor wants to tell him to shut the fuck up before he wakes up anyone, but Loki continues. "I promise I'll behave. I just wanna cuddle. You're just... _so_ big, I think it'll be nice."

"I said no."

Loki stops walking completely, resisting when Thor prompts him to move. When Thor looks down at him Loki's lower lip is trembling and his eyes look wet, glistening. He's obviously ready to start crying - _the little shit_ \- and the last thing Thor needs is Odin waking up and finding them together like that, this late at night _and_ with Loki crying.

He lets out a tired sigh. "Fine," he says and drags Loki forward. "Now fucking move."

Loki starts undressing even before they get to Thor's room, clumsily pulling his t-shirt over his head, abandoning it on the floor. His shoes follow and then his shorts, leaving him in just his briefs.

Thor closes the door and is about to throw a t-shirt to Loki, but Loki is already collapsing on the bed, letting out a pleased sigh. Thor allows himself to look as he strips down to his boxers and pulls an old, worn t-shirt on; Loki's eyes are already closed, his chest rising and falling steadily. He looks small like this, fragile and innocent. Just like what he pretends to be.

Thor climbs into the bed beside Loki, tensing a little when Loki snuggles up close to him. Loki turns on his side and throws a leg over Thor's hips, his hand slipping under Thor's t-shirt until it's resting on his chest. 

It's weird.

Surprisingly not in a bad way.

Thor thinks the last time he cuddled with someone was when he was eight and his mom was still alive.

It almost ridiculous how nice it feels to simply be close to a person for a reason that isn't just having sex.

He tries not to dwell on it and slips an arm under Loki's body, drawing him even closer, almost on top of him. It's comforting in a strange way, despite the heat, despite the fact that he knows he should be staying away from Loki.

Right now he doesn't really care.

He buries his nose in Loki's hair and inhales - it mostly smells of alcohol and smoke, but there's also that lingering sweet scent he can usually smell around Loki - and he lets his eyes fall closed, drifting off to sleep soon after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading 😃 feedback makes my day!🥰


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